Westcott Primary School

Westcott Primary School Westcott Street, Hull HU8 8NB

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher and other leaders, including governors, have high expectations of pupils and staff. Their leadership has been effective in improving the school since the previous inspection.  Leaders and managers have ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now good.  Teaching in the early years is good. As a result, children make good progress and are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.  Current pupils make good progress particularly in reading and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability achieve well.  The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are proud of their school, and respectful of one another and all the adults.  Pupils feel well cared for and safe. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle beyond school.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around school.

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This is a good school

The vast majority enjoy coming to school, attend regularly and are keen to learn.  Leaders develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well. Staff help pupils to value people from different backgrounds, and their different beliefs and viewpoints.  The many visits and visitors to school help to prepare pupils well for the next stage in their education and future lives.  Governors are regular visitors to the school, and hold school leaders to account for how well the school is doing.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In key stage 2, pupils’ writing skills are not as strong as their reading and mathematical skills. This is especially the case for some of the most able pupils.  Not enough teaching is yet of the highest quality.  Some teachers do not check pupils’ learning carefully enough, and do not adjust the work set accordingly, especially for the most able.  Some teaching assistants are not always effective in challenging and supporting individual, and groups of, children.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of good and better teaching by ensuring that: teachers check pupils’ learning fully in lessons and adjust the work accordingly to keep all pupils interested and challenged, especially the most able teaching assistants fully understand their roles and provide consistent levels of challenge and support, in all classes.  Enhance pupils’ outcomes in Years 3 to 6 in writing by: providing pupils, especially the most able, with consistent opportunities to practise their writing skills sooner, and to write at length, in all classes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has high aspirations for all pupils and staff. She has ensured that all the areas for improvement from the previous inspection have been addressed.  The redeveloped senior leadership team is equally ambitious for the school. Senior leaders work cohesively to bring about continuous improvement, and have been successful in raising staff’s expectations of what pupils can achieve and do.  Staff indicate that they are proud to work in the school. They feel involved in collectively achieving the school’s priorities and morale is strong.  Senior leaders provide staff with high-quality professional development, in school and especially through the Hull Collaborative Academy Trust. This work has helped significantly to enhance the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in all year groups.  Middle leaders, including subject leaders, are increasingly confident when making checks on the quality of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

teaching. Where they find that teaching is not good enough, they introduce a programme of support and development so that teachers make improvements in a timely manner.  Leaders and managers, at all levels, know the school well. Action plans appropriately prioritise further improvements in teaching, including achieving higher outcomes in writing, especially for the most able pupils.  The headteacher has strengthened appraisal systems, and has linked teachers’ pay progression rigorously to their performance, measured closely against the national teachers’ standards.  Leaders and managers ensure that they track pupils’ progress carefully. Regular checks on pupils’ progress ensure that staff identify pupils who are not doing as well as they should. They give these pupils additional support to help them make better progress. As a result, different groups of pupils, including those who have special educational needs or disability, make good progress. This shows leaders’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

commitment to promoting equality of opportunity for all pupils.  Adults tackle the rare instances of discriminatory or prejudiced behaviour successfully. These actions underpin the school’s strong sense of community.  The curriculum is effective in developing pupils’ basic reading, writing and mathematical skills. Interesting topics, such as the Stone Age, Pompeii and ‘It’s a bug’s life’ forge increasingly good links between subjects.  Visits and visitors to the school enrich pupils’ experiences further. They help to bring learning alive. Pupils say how much they enjoy learning about life in the ocean and the history of boats, and the production of chocolate from bean to bar. Pupils enthusiastically participate in a wide array of sporting teams and competitions that encourage teamwork, and take pleasure in learning French across Years 3 to 6.  Staff develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness well. Pupils learn about the different

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

cultures and faiths represented in modern Britain. Pupils are made aware of British values through, for example, their involvement in the democratic process of electing members of the school council and the school captain. They also develop their own class ‘norms’. They learn about the importance of remembrance as part of their work on the First and Second World Wars, and of respect and esteem while studying significant historical British figures, such as Grace Darling. As a result, the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The school’s use of the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium has increased the range of sporting opportunities available to pupils, and has resulted in greater staff confidence in teaching aspects of PE including gymnastics.  Leaders, including governors, ensure that they spend the pupil premium effectively. Disadvantaged pupils now make similar progress to all other pupils across the school. They benefit from bespoke support in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

reading, writing and mathematics, both in and beyond the classroom, and extra resources to support their self-esteem and emotional development.  The vast majority of the parents and carers responding to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, indicate that the school is well led and managed. Almost all staff responding to the staff questionnaire agree with them.  The governance of the school Governors have improved their working arrangements since the previous inspection. A new chair of the governing body has been appointed, membership of the governing body has been reorganised, and committees re-formed. These changes, together with good information received on a regular basis from school leaders, and sourced from the Hull Collaborative Academy Trust, mean that governors have a good understanding of the school’s work. Governors are increasingly confident in holding senior leaders to account for the school’s performance

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and its safeguarding arrangements. Governors keep a close watch on how leaders spend additional funding, such as the pupil premium, to meet priorities, and whether this is having its desired impact. Governors hav e a clear appreciation of the quality of teaching and its impact on outcomes for pupils. Governors know about the management of teachers’ performance and the links between this and teachers’ pay progression. They have adopted similarly rigorous arrangements for evaluating the headteacher’s annual performance.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, governors and staff work closely with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, and with a range of external agencies and individual families, to ensure that they keep pupils safe. All staff receive regular training on safeguarding. They know how to identify whether pupils are at risk and how to report any concerns. Safeguarding arrangements in the early years

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are secure. Almost all parents responding to Parent View indicate that their children feel safe at school. Staff and pupils agree.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Leaders and managers have successfully dealt with any significant weaknesses in teaching that were identified during the previous inspection. As a result, the quality of teaching is now good and ensures that pupils make increasingly good progress.  A strong feature of teaching is the purposeful atmosphere for learning, with teachers establishing positive working relationships with the pupils.  Most adults expect much of pupils and the vast majority of pupils show good attitudes towards their learning. In most classes pupils strive to do their best.  For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils concentrated well to draw accurately two- dimensional shapes, given specific angles and measurements. They confidently shared their approaches and were prepared to justify their answers to one another. Similarly, Year 4 pupils eagerly exchanged thoughts about how they might persuade others to buy a necklace, as part of their work on the Stone

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Age.  The vast majority of teachers engage pupils because they make learning interesting and appropriately demanding. Teachers are knowledgeable about what they teach. They generate interest in learning, and a desire to succeed on the part of most pupils, from whatever their starting points.  Most teachers use assessment information effectively to plan lessons that are appropriate to the needs of the different groups of pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, or who have special educational needs or disability. Pupils who fall behind are spotted quickly. Teachers provide additional work and time so that they successfully meet their needs.  The teaching of the most-able pupils has improved since the previous inspection. In most classes, and especially when reading and mathematics is being taught, teachers provide the most able with activities that heighten their abilities. They enhance pupils’ aptitudes to infer developments in characters and plot,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and test their mathematical skills with demanding investigations. However, some teachers are inconsistent in the demands they make of some of the most able pupils, particularly across Years 3 to 6, to begin writing early and in sufficient detail.  Pupils enjoy reading. Staff plan for highly effective daily reading sessions in which adults listen to pupils read, and teach them techniques to make sense of unfamiliar words and phrases. Phonics (the sounds that letters represent) is taught with increasing effectiveness across the school, and helps pupils to read fluently and with good understanding.  The teaching of mathematics has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Teachers equip pupils with a good range of calculation skills and mathematical vocabulary. Most pupils enjoy regular opportunities to solve mathematical problems, and many can explain the answers they find.  The teaching of writing is improving. The handwriting of most pupils is of a good quality. They generally

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

present their written work with care. Most teachers pay good attention to showing pupils how to develop ideas and spell accurately, but know that there is more to do to maximise the progress of the most able.  Across the curriculum, many teachers provide increasingly well-planned opportunities for pupils to use their writing and mathematical skills to good effect. Good examples were seen by inspectors in history, geography and science.  Teachers provide pupils with regular guidance on how to improve their work, resulting in notable improvements.  Most teachers know their pupils well and plan effectively to meet their needs. On occasions, some teachers do not adapt activities sufficiently in lessons. As a result, the most able sometimes find the work too easy, and are not made to think hard.  In some lessons, some teaching assistants are not effective in the levels of challenge they provide for individual, and small groups of, pupils. As a consequence, some pupils do not make the progress of which

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are proud of their school. They are respectful and caring of each other and of all the adults in school.  Pupils work and play happily together. They are keen to welcome visitors to the school, and help new pupils who join the school to settle quickly.  The vast majority of pupils show positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do their best. They value the rewards they receive for their good work, and openly celebrate the achievements of their peers in the ‘good work’ assemblies.  Pupils enjoy the different responsibilities they are given, including being members of the school council and sport leaders, helping in assemblies, and raising money and collecting resources to support a school in Ghana.  Pupils have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including racist and homophobic bullying and

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Personal development and welfare

cyber bullying. Pupils say that bullying is increasingly infrequent in school.  Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for. They confirm that they can easily approach a member of staff if they have any worries. They are confident that staff will always make the time to listen to their views, and not tolerate any language or actions that may be offensive.  Staff teach pupils well about how to keep themselves safe. They know, for example, about road and fire safety, and how to keep safe when using the internet and mobile phones.  The many sporting opportunities, ‘change for life’ clubs and work in the school’s ‘cooking kitchen’ enrich pupils’ understanding about the importance of hygiene and living a healthy lifestyle.  Regular visits and visitors to school build well pupils’ all-round spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Recent talks by the Lord Mayor and members of parliament have enhanced pupils’

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Personal development and welfare

awareness of the importance of democracy and freedom.  ‘Rotakids’ work, as part of the local Rotary Club, is supporting sufferers from polio in overseas countries, as well as taking part in extensive charity fundraising for local and national causes. This helps to prepare pupils well for their roles as future citizens.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school makes clear its expectations of how everyone should behave in each class ‘norms’, and pupils understand these.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They appreciate the rewards they get for positive behaviour, are keen to ‘go for gold’, and understand that there are consequences for unacceptable behaviour.  The school’s leaders work hard to encourage pupils to attend school regularly. As a result, attendance is rising and is above the national average. Fewer pupils frequently miss school than at the time of the previous inspection.  Pupils are polite and friendly, and conduct themselves well. In the playground and dining room, pupils are helpful and considerate.  In lessons, the vast majority of pupils are eager to learn and concentrate well. Occasionally, some pupils are inattentive and do not persevere with their work, especially if they are not sufficiently challenged. As

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Behaviour

a result, their progress slows.  Most pupils, parents and staff responding to the Ofsted online questionnaires agree that pupils’ behaviour is good.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ outcomes have risen since the previous inspection and are now good. Improvements in teaching are resulting in sustained good overall rates of progress by current pupils across all year groups. This is confirmed by the good progress seen in pupils’ books, and in visits to classes in different years.  Pupils’ overall attainment at the end of key stage 1 in 2015 was broadly in line with the national average, and was higher in reading and writing than in mathematics. These outcomes represented overall good progress, given that the starting points of some of these pupils were below average at the beginning of Year 1.  Pupils make increasingly good progress across key stage 2. In 2015, end of Year 6 outcomes were above national averages, although they were higher in reading and mathematics than in writing.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability, as well as those who have fallen behind and need

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Outcomes for pupils are good

to catch up in their learning, make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because teachers track their progress carefully and make sure that they receive effective care and support.  Disadvantaged pupils make increasingly good progress, and the gaps in attainment with their classmates have closed in most subjects and in most year groups. In 2015, Year 6 disadvantaged pupils attained higher outcomes than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils are largely well challenged in lessons, and the school’s information confirms that the vast majority make increasingly good progress across the year groups. Work in Year 2 and Year 6 books indicates that many have already reached their age-related expectations in writing and mathematics, and have the potential to exceed them.  Pupils’ outcomes in reading are a strength of the school. By the end of key stage 1, the proportion of

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils who achieve the expected level in phonics is in line with the national average. The vast majority of pupils read fluently and with good understanding. This is because they enjoy the daily reading opportunities, and read often at home.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics. Leaders have addressed weaknesses highlighted in the previous inspection well. This is due to teachers’ confident subject knowledge and insistence on pupils practising daily their basic mathematical skills. Pupils have regular opportunities to use important skills in a range of problem-solving activities, in different subjects. Teachers increasingly expect pupils to explain their approaches to individual calculations and to justify their findings.  Outcomes in writing are improving, because teachers encourage pupils to consider carefully how they form individual sentences, to vary the language they use, and to spell accurately common and specialist

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Outcomes for pupils are good

words. Outcomes in writing are still not strong enough for some of the most able pupils in some key stage 2 classes. This is because some teachers do not consistently challenge them to write with sufficient detail, and soon enough.  Pupils achieve well across many subjects of the curriculum. Overall, the school prepares pupils well for secondary school. They develop particularly good all-round knowledge and skills in history, geography, science and art.

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Early years provision is good

 Thoughtful and well-planned activities and support help an increasing proportion of children, especially the most able, to make good progress from their different starting points. Children are increasingly well prepared for transition to Year 1.  Children get off to a good start because of the strong relationships they form with the adults that are working with them. A focus on reading, writing and number that is embedded within a lively curriculum means that many learn to read, write and understand numbers very quickly.  In 2015, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above the national figure.  Teachers encourage children to explore their environment and work well with one another at all times. Children are enthusiastic, they clearly enjoy the activities which take place, both indoors and outside.  Adults provide many opportunities for children to learn what good behaviour looks like and how to play

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Early years provision is good

together cooperatively. As a result, the vast majority are considerate and behave well.  The small numbers of disadvantaged children make good progress with their learning, and the early years pupil premium is used successfully to support their particular needs.  Teaching in the Reception Year is good. Staff take into account children’s interests. For example, children were enthralled by their outdoor train journey into the jungle, searching enthusiastically for the wild animals they had previously talked about. Indoors, children enjoyed listening to stories about the ‘Chimpanzees of Happy Town’ and eagerly set about making their own new and colourful buildings to enhance their version of ‘Drabsville’.  Early years staff have developed effective and close working partnerships with parents. Parents are well supported in helping their children to continue their learning at home, and are readily welcomed into

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Early years provision is good

school.  Children’s welfare and safety are a high priority. As a result, children are happy, safe and increasingly confident, independent learners.  The leadership of the early years provision is good. The early years leader ensures that most of the adults make effective use of all the assessment information to plan to meet children’s overall interests and individual needs.  Leaders understand the strengths and areas for development in early years. They recognise that some of the work on display indoors, and the interactions between children and a minority of the adults, do not stimulate some children’s imagination, and challenge their thinking, as much as they could.

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School details

Unique reference number 117930 Local authority Kingston upon Hull City of Inspection number 10011982

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 242 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graham Wilson Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Carol Marshall Telephone number 01482 783576 Website www.westcott.hull.dbprimary.com Email address admin@westcott.hull.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28 January 2014

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage, and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported through the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Since the previous inspection there have been significant staffing changes, including changes in senior and middle leaders and managers. Membership of the governing body has also changed. A new chair of the governing body has been appointed, and governors’ committees have been reviewed.

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Information about this school

 The school is in the process of converting to academy status. It receives wide-ranging support from the Hull Collaborative Academy Trust.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of different classes. One class was visited jointly with the headteacher.  Pupils’ work was sampled informally in classes in a range of subjects. In addition, mathematics and writing from Years 2 and 6, and work in other subjects from Years 2 and 6, were sampled separately.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own information on current pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, minutes of the governing body’s meetings, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents pertaining to safeguarding.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils in Years 3 to 6, with governors and with school staff, including those with management responsibilities. In addition, a meeting took place with two representatives from the Hull Collaborative Academy Trust, and a telephone conversation was held with the chair of the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors evaluated the 44 responses of parents to Parent View, and also took into account the views of 57 pupils and 27 members of the school’s staff who completed the Ofsted online questionnaires. In addition, inspectors also evaluated responses by pupils and staff to the school’s own questionnaires since the previous inspection.

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Inspection team

Andrew Swallow, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector James Reid Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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